Breeding hopes for Wildlife Park parrots

Charity builds new enclosure for Lila and Chester

It's hoped a new home for an endangered species of parrot at the Wildlife Park could lead to the flutter of tiny wings.

Twenty-three-year-old Lila and her much younger "toy boy" Chester are Lilacine parrots - usually found in the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador.

A new aviary has been created for them which includes more flight space, cosy nest boxes and lots of branches to climb.

It's been built by the Manx charity Supporters of the Curraghs Wildlife Park - chair Kim Etherton says it's hoped it will encourage the pair to start a family although there are no guarantees.

The new aviary was constructed by teams from Utmost Wealth, HSBC and Cayman National.

Graham Harvey from the charity was the project manager. 

He said: "It is a pleasure to watch Lila and Chester exploring their new home and it makes all the effort in building it so worthwhile. 

"Many companies get involved with our 'make a difference day', enabling their staff to contribute positively to facilities for the park’s visitors, animals and conservation programmes and we are very grateful for their support." 

Lila has been at the park for a while and her new partner Chester arrived from Chester Zoo earlier in the summer and is only a few years old. 

This species can live for 50 years and pair for life and, so far, Lila and Chester are getting on very well. 

With only a few thousand of these birds left in the wild, in Ecuador, population management within zoos is essential to secure their survival.

Manx Radio's John Moss went along to meet the pair:

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